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About the Stigma Index

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index provides a tool that measures and detects changing trends in relation to stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV. In the initiative, the process is just as important as the product. It aims to address stigma relating to HIV while also advocating on the key barriers and issues perpetuating stigma - a key obstacle to HIV treatment, prevention, care and support.

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Understanding HIV stigma in Swaziland

13 Dec 2011

"I am alive because I went to test otherwise I would be dead... People think because I am HIV positive, that is the problem. But really the problem is not knowing your HIV status."

These are the words of Khetsiwe, a 43 year-old single mother from Elangeni in Swaziland. Her experiences were being recorded by Khanyisile Mlotsa, an HIV treatment adherence counsellor who is HIV positive herself. Khanyisile developed her in-depth interviewing skills during a Panos oral testimony workshop in August this year, using them to listen to and record Sarah's experiences of living with HIV and AIDS.

Khanyisile interviewed Khetsiwe as part of the "Give Stigma the Index Finger" project in Swaziland, Ethiopia and Mozambique which is funded by Comic Relief. Panos is working in partnership with national networks of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation by sharing experience of oral testimony and media work following the roll out of the Stigma Index Read more about this oral testimony project here http://panos.org.uk/2011/12/01/understanding-stigma-in-swaziland/